Railroad car diaphragm



Nov. 12, 1968 c. P. KRUPP 3,410,226

RAILROAD CAR DIAPHRAGM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 23, 1966 FIG.1

48 50 .5 g L 2 I 5iv 's-3O 25 FIG. 3

L 4 4, j l l 2/'\ '20 w! I 42 L' 1 T R. 40 /5 37 CARROLL l i l UPP 3e 22 15 34 /8 32 25 BY 23 33 ATTY.

Nov. 12, 1968 c. P. KRUPP 3,410,226

RAILROAD CAR DIAPHRAGM Filed June 23; 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CARROLL P. K RUPP .ATTY.

Nov. 12, 1968 c. P. KR UPP 3,410,226

RAILROAD CAR DIAPHRAGM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 23, 1966 BY M .ATTY.

United States Patent 3,410,226 RAILROAD CAR DIAPHRAGM Carroll P. Krupp, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 23, 1966, Ser. No. 559,789 8 Claims. (Cl. 105-10) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A vestibule between the end wall doorways of adjoining railway cars is made of two thick resilient sponge diaphragms which register axially to provide a continuous enclosed passageway from one doorway to the other doorway. Each diaphragm in its lengthwise direction conforms substantially to the configuration of the doorway against which it is mounted, and it completely surrounds the doorway including the vertical sides, overhead, and sill portions. The outer ends of each diaphragm abut each other, and preferably the diaphragms are axially compressed so that these edges remain engaged when the train passes around a curve. The foamed material of the diaphragm is covered with a durable flexible skin and both its internal and external surfaces are corrugated so that compression of the diaphragm does not significantly bulge the surface on the interior or the exterior. A floor structure extends through the diaphragms from one doorway to the opposing doorway.

This invention relates to flexible diaphragms for enclosing the space between adjoining ends of two railroad cars to provide a passageway between the cars.

A diaphragm according to this invention is characterized by a thick resilient body designed for attachment to the vertical end wall of a railroad car so that it completely surrounds and encloses the doorway into the car and extends axially towards the corresponding mating doorway on the next adjoining car. In its axial extent the body may project into direct engagement with the adjacent car, but preferably the body is designed to mate axially with a corresponding diaphragm on the adjoining car. These mating diaphragms thus cooperate to provide a passageway between adjoining cars above the car couplings.

The major portion of the body of the diaphragm is made of a foam material which is encased by a flexible and durable protective skin. The body is particularly designed to accommodate a high degree of axial compression. The interior and exterior of the body is pleated so that the body is not only highly resilient axially, but is also capable of substantial (for example, 50% overall) axial deformation without substantial distortion to the interior and exterior wall surfaces. The axial compressibility characteristic of the diaphragm permits substantial compression of the body when mated with the diaphragm or body of the adjoining car.

Another feature of this diaphragm is that the body portion at the sill of the doorway provides a floor or walkway between adjoining cars without the necessity for the use of other independent plates or structures.

The diaphragm further includes resilient shear type spring cushions to provide resistance to vertical displacement of the diaphragm resulting from persons walking on the floor part of the diaphragm.

The mated diaphragms have no exposed metal sur- "ice faces to create extraneous noises. These mating diaphragms are held in a highly compressed condition thereby removing the possibility of noises between the abutting ends of the mating diaphragms. The sponge body further acts as an excellent sound absorber or insulator thereby reducing the possibility of noise between mating diaphragms and preventing outside road noise from being emitted into the passage between adjoining cars.

Furthermore, the thick resilient sponge body provides excellent thermal insulation enabling the temperature in the passageway area to be maintained at an adequate comfort level.

The axial compression characteristics of these diaphragms assure that the mating wear plates remain in contact at all times, including the periods when the train is rounding a sharp curve, thereby preventing weather leaks and air noises at the mating faces of the diaphragm.

The vertical supports in the diaphragm provide a high resistance to vertical deflection without impairing the axial flexibility of the diaphragm. These vertical supports also provide resistance to any excessive bulging of the diaphragm walls when the train is rounding a curve.

Moreover, these diaphragms have good appearance features which are applicable to both the interior of the diaphragm passageway and the exterior of the diaphragm. The exterior appearance features of the diaphragm provide compatibility with the streamline design of the exterior of the train.

The following description and drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a railroad car having the diaphragm attached to one vertical end of the car;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the diaphragm assembly;

FIG. 3 is a fragmented cross-sectional view of the diaphragm attached to one end of the railroad car in its uncoupled condition;

FIG. 4 is a fragmented cross-sectional view of adjoining diaphragms of railroad cars in their coupled position;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the diaphragm at line 55.

The diaphragm assembly 10 shown in FIG. 1 as it is attached to one end of railroad car 12, the passageway portion of the assembly is formed by an open-end rectangular frame projection 14 which is attached on one open end at the vertical end of car 12 by a series of fasteners 15, 15 along the margin of the car doorway, and vertically supported by a pair of spring cushions 16 and 18 at the center portion of the horizontal elements of frame projection 14 as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.

The frame projection 14 has a thick resilient body 20, shown typically in FIG. 5, that goes around the entire frame. This body 20 is preferably made from a foamed or sponge material that permits axial compression of the frame projection 14. The walls of frame projection 14 are covered by a thin flexible protective skin 21. This skin 21 may be of a vinyl or polyurethane material which provides excellent durability and colorful appearance. A thin metal U-shaped plate 22 is bonded directly to the peripheral free end of foam body 20 as shown in the section views, FIGS. 3 and 5. Similarly, a flat plate 23 is bonded directly to the attached end of foam body 20.

The thick body 20 and the skin 21 are fabricated so that the interior and exterior walls of frame projection 14 incude a series of accordion-like pleats 24. This feature permits the axial compression of frame projection 14 without substantially bulging the exterior or interior walls of frame projection 14.

The free end of frame projection 14 also has an exterior wear plate attached around the periphery of the free end of projection 14. This wear plate 25 is bonded to U- shaped plate 22 by a suitable adhesive. In order to provide excellent durability and smooth frictional engagement between pairs of mating diaphragms similar to diaphragm 10, wear plate 25 is preferably made of nylon.

The shear spring 16 which cooperates with shear spring 18 to vertically support frame projection 14 has a rubber shear block 26 that is attached at the roof sections of frame projection 14 in the void 27 of body 20 by a pair of metal L-shaped plates 28 and 29 shown in FIG. 3. Plate 28 is attached to the vertical wall of car 12 by fastener 30 to support the bottom of shear block 26 and the opposite support plate 29 is attached to the top of shear block 26 and to the backside of U-shaped plate 22 by fastener 31. These plates 28 and 29 are preferably adhered to shear block 26 during the vulcanization of the blocks or they may be fastened by a suitable adhesive. Similarly, shear spring 18 is located in void 32 of the floor section of body 20 and includes a shear block 33 which is supported by two L-shaped plates 34 and 35 and their fastener 36 and 37 respectively as shown in FIG. 3.

Preferably, the floor section of frame projection 14 .is covered by a floating floor plate 38 that slides freely over a rubber roller 40 which is located on the vertical end wall of car 12. The wear plate end of floor 38 is attached to the upper edge of plate 22 at the floor of projection 14 by a fastener 42 as shown in FIG. 3. The opposite end of floating floor plate 38 is unattached and free to roll over roller 40. This floating floor 38 thereby provides a floor platform when diaphragm 10 is uncoupled as shown in FIG. 3 and also when the diaphragm 10 mates with the diaphragm 44 of car 46 during the coupling of adjoining cars 12 and 46 as shown in FIG. 4.

Frame projection 14 is partially enclosed by an exterior fairing 48. This fairing 48 in its preferred form is triangular with its base portion fastened to the vertical end wall of car 12 by fastener 50, and its opposite side forming a continuation of the outer wall of car 12 as viewed in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The body 52 of fairing 48 preferably is made of foam similar to that used in body 20 of frame projection 14 to provide further noise and thermal insulation to the passageway between adjoining cars. This foamed body 52 is enclosed by a thin durable skin 54 which also may be a vinyl or polyurethane covering similar to the skin 21 of frame projection 14. This fairing portion permits considerable appearance advantages in that this fairing section 48 permits the streamline contour of the roofiine of car 12 to continue over the entire passageway which connects with an adjoining car. The resiliency of its body 52 assures that this streamline appearance continues whenever the train is operating including the times when the train is rounding a curve. Preferably, diaphragm 10 is used with a mating diaphragm 44 on the adjoining car 46 and the cars are coupled by a conventional coupling means which is not shown. When coupled, the frame pro jection 14 of diaphragm 10 moves from its uncoupled position shown in FIG. 3 where shear blocks 26 and 33 are fully relaxed, to its compressed, coupled position illustrated in FIG. 4. In this position, the resilient shear blocks 26 and 33 are substantially deformed and cooperate with the compressed foamed material of the frame projection 14 to maintain contact between mating wear plates 24 of adjoining diaphragms 10 and 44.

Preferably, the diaphragm 10 is designed so that when the cars of the train are initially coupled, frame projection 14 is compressed 25% of its free length. The preferred design further permits an additional 25% compression of frame projection 14, to compensate for the periods whe the train is rounding a curve.

The shear blocks 26 and 33, in addition to cooperating to maintain engagement of mating diaphragms, also resist excess distortion of the exterior and interior walls of projection 14 that may be caused by vertical or transverse loading forces resulting from loads on the floor platform 38 or sideway swaying of the train.

It will be readily apparent from this disclosure that variations from this preferred construction may be made which will be within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A vestibule diaphragm for a railroad car comprising a thick resilient foam body with a thin flexible protective skin on the body, the body being'shaped to substantially conform to the shape of a doorway in one end wall of a railroad car and to extend continuously around such doorway including the sides, overhead and sill portions of such doorway, means for attaching one end face of the body to the margins of such doorway, and the body having a depth dimension so that the body extends axially from said mounting means to an opposing outer end face adapted for flush lateral sliding contact with a mating surface on an adjoining railroad car to form an enclosed passageway between such cars.

2. A vestibule diaphragm according to claim 1 and further characterized in that said foamed body and said skin have pleats extending lengthwise around said body on both the interior and exterior surfaces to permit axial compression of said body without materially bulging its interior or exterior surfaces.

3. A vestibule diaphragm according to claim 1 and further characterized in that each said opposing end face of the body includes a rigid member integral with the body and conforming to the configuration of the body along said end faces, the rigid member at the door-adjoining end face of the body being adapted for engagement by said attaching means, and the rigid member on said opposing outer end face being movable axially toward the other rigid member to axially compress said body.

4. A vestibule diaphragm according to claim 3 and further characterized by a rigid floor platform which is attached to the rigid member at said outer end face of said foam body along the sill portion thereof and which extends inside the body and through the opposing rigid member, said platform being supported on the latter rigid member for lengthwise movement through the body when the body is axially compressed.

5. A vestibule diaphragm according to claim 3 and further characterized in that said outer end face has a non-metallic wear plate adapted for lateral sliding engagement with a mating surface on an adjoining railway car.

6. A vestibule diaphragm according to claim 1 and further characterized in that said foam body includes means for opposing vertical displacement of said outer end of the diaphragm, and means for resisting axial deformation of the diaphragm.

7. A vestibule diaphragm according to claim 6 wherein said means is a rubber shear spring embedded in said body of the diaphragm.

8. A vestibule for interconnecting end wall doorways between adjoining railroad cars, said vestibule comprising two independent flexible resilient foam diaphragms, each diaphragm having a thick foam body with a thin flexible protective skin thereon, the body being shaped lengthwise to substantially conform to the shape of its respective doorway and to extend continuously around such doorway including the sides, overhead, and sill portions thereof, each diaphragm further including a rigid member integral with one end face of the body for attaching said diaphragm to themargins of its respective doorway, and each diaphragm extending axially from its respective doorway to an opposing outer end face which registers with and abuts in slidable engagement the corresponding outer end face of the other diaphragm, and each said diaphragm being adapted for axially deforming to maintain said outer end faces in abutting engage- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Griflin 105-15 Cornet 213-9 Simonson 10517 Dean 6 1/1940 Ragsdale 10515 X 12/1951 Krupp et a]. 105--15 6/1953 Nystrorn et a1. 10515 7/1961 Brophy 105--15 X FOREIGN PATENTS 5/1931 France.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

213 222 X 10 H. BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner. 

